A few months into the release of AMD’s major laptop chips release, Acer is stepping in and using the platform in its first laptops.
The new Swift 3 machines also come with AMD’s Vega graphics, which are more powerful than Intel’s HD/UHD Graphics options. They follow HP’s Envy x360, the first one to feature these processors.
You get the choice of either a 2.0 GHz Ryzen 5 2500U machine, or a 2.2 GHz Ryzen 7 2700U system. Both support Turbo frequencies of up to 3.8 GHz.
On the graphics front, you get either a 1100MHz Vega 8 GPU or 1300MHz Vega 10 graphics, depending on the processor. Both processors come with 512 and 640 stream processors, respectively. According to AMD, the graphics are powerful enough for some light gaming, hitting 49 fps on Dota at 1080 (high), and matching GTX 950M.
Storage options for the two laptops range between a 256 GB SSD on the base model, to a 512 GB SSD on the Ryzen 7 version. The amount of RAM is set at 8 GB DDR4, by default, with unknown frequency.
The display on the front measures 15.6-inch diagonally and is an IPS panel, coming with FHD 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution. It appears to be the only option available, though.
For connections, you get Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth, 2 USB 3.0 + 1 USB 2.0, 1 USB-C 3.0, HDMI 2.0a, webcam, headphone jack and an SD card reader. The machines weigh just over 2 kilograms each.
Pricing starts at $750 for the Ryzen 5 and $950 for the Ryzen 7 models, respectively. The amount of customization available with these laptops appears to be minimal, though you can check out the laptops’ Intel-powered brethren if you want other options.
You can expect the machines to available in the coming few weeks.